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Loveland's Molly Bloom shares story on the silver screen

After ups and downs of past 2 decades, she reflects on her home town

By Michelle Vendegna

Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
01/11/2018 03:03:06 PM MST

Former Loveland resident Molly Bloom walks the red carpet at the premiere of the Aaron Sorkin film "Molly's Game." The film is based on the Bloom's memoir of the same name. (Courtesy of Hiltzik Strategies)

As the story of Molly Bloom's life plays on movie screens across the nation in the Aaron Sorkin film "Molly's Game," the former Loveland resident believes it was her upbringing that helped her through the ups and down of the past 10 years.

"As much as I left after college and I wanted a bigger life and wanted to chase big, shiny things, I think the foundation that I had from growing up in (my) most formative years in a small town, in nature, with small town values, really helped me to return to myself, to my heart," Bloom said.

Bloom grew up in Loveland with her brothers, Jeremy and Jordan. All three children excelled in sports and academics. Jeremy skied in the Olympics and was drafted into the NFL. Jordan went into medicine.

Molly Bloom was also an Olympic hopeful in high school until an accident on the slopes sent her on a different path.

After graduating from Loveland High School in 1996, Bloom moved to Los Angeles. She eventually got an assistant job with the businessman who was running high stakes poker games with the Hollywood elite. Tasked with helping to run the games, Bloom eventually learned the ropes and set out on her own.

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As the stakes got higher and the clientele more dangerous, the FBI took notice. Bloom was arrested in 2013 for her part in hosting an illegal gambling ring, having loose ties to the Russian-American mob through players, and taking a "rake," an illegal cut from the pot. In 2014, after the judge on her case determined she had played only a minor role in the larger gambling ring linked to her clientele, Bloom was sentence to probation, community service and a fine.

"Throughout the process of regurgitation of the story, throughout the story of humbling myself and losing all my money, and being a convicted felon and having to be in the system, doing 200 hours of community service and your life splashed out in the press and everything, there has been a lot of self-reflection and a lot self-investigation as to why did I go down the roads I did and why did pursue them so (fervently) to the ends that I did," Bloom said. "Why didn't I jump ship when things got dangerous?"

The process allowed Bloom to understand her ambitious nature and helped her to redefine success.

"I was looking to compensate what I felt I was lacking in my childhood. I hadn't built myself from the inside out, I had to always build myself from the outside in. This whole process forced me to do the inside job," she said.

From the experience, Bloom walked away with some valuable lessons.

"No more feel of failure. I have failed on such a massive stage and for the whole world to see. I now go through life with much less fear. That's invaluable," she said.

"Also knowing that being rich, having famous, fancy friends does not bring happiness. I know that without a doubt. No matter how rich I got, how successful I got, I had this existential emptiness," she added.

She has also strengthen her relationships with her family.

"My family and I have done a lot of work and I will say this is the closest we have ever been. It has been incredible," she said.

There are parts of Bloom's experience that she misses, such as the financial independence and seeing a plan come together.

"There is a lot of confidence and fulfillment that come from going after big dreams and taking those risks and having it pay off," she said.

Bloom hopes to apply those positive attributes to her new venture.

"I would really like to create a membership club that can have a local emphasis, but also connect digitally, that can unite ambitious women to move the needle forward," she said.

"I have seen it from being a part of the 12-step program and seeing what an incredible gift can come from building community around shared experience and sharing solutions. That's what I am looking to create, a co-working membership club for ambitious women," she said.

Bloom returned to Colorado last February, although she did not want share where. But is looking forward to making it back to her hometown.

"My family always said I'd come back. I didn't think so, but now I am back. I couldn't be happier. I love Colorado. I am looking forward to going back to Loveland, even though I'm sure it has changed a lot," she said.

Bloom said she loved growing up in Loveland, spending her summers on the lakes and winters skiing.

"I just keep having this vision of coming back to my childhood home and I really want to. I just want to come walk around Loveland. It's been so long since I have been back," she said.

Those fond memories of the town is something she hopes to return to.

"I grew up on the lake with a view of the mountains. It felt safe. It felt like a community. It felt like people knew each other. I would love to recreate that kind of feeling with my own family one day."

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